Method of forming forgings



Fgb. 6, 1934. c. H. SMITH METHOD OF FORMING FORGINGS Filed July 29, 193i 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 6,,1934. c H, sMlTH 1,945,827

METHOD OF FORMING FORGINGS Filed July 29, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Zlnvenk (l /4mg; 5/7074,

Patented Feb. 6, 1934 STATES FATE The improved method of forming forgings comprising the present invention is primarily adapted for use in the manufacturing of tube ends in a cracking still although the principles-of the invention are applicable to the forming of other forgings. The method involved in this application is essentially an economic method and-results in the manufacture of the tube end or other similar parts at a much lower cost as compared with other methods of producing such parts as forgings under conditions of mass production.

Heretofore tube ends for cracking stills have been manufactured as castings because of their peculiar shapes. With the constant increase of operating pressures and temperatures, castings have not proven satisfactory to withstand these higher pressures and temperatures.

To duplicate similar parts in forgings, as heretofore made in castings, has necessitated a very expensive forging and machining operation.

With this improved method of forming a forging,

used as a tube end for a pressure still, considerable labor is saved by the elimination of extra machine work, and a superior product is produced which will stand greater strain and higher temperatures and have a greater factor of safety because of the elimination of porosity and other evils found in castings. Other objects and advantages of the invention not at this time more particularly enumerated will become more readily apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood and the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying two sheets of drawings in which:

Figure l is a front view of a press in which the forming apparatus comprising the present invention has been installed.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the assembled device.

Figure 3 is a plan view of a roller die carrying fixture employed in connection with the present invention.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the fixture shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the preformed forged article preparatory to its introduction into the machine, and

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the finished cracking still tube end.

In all of the above described views, like-characters of reference are employed to designate like parts throughout.

Referring now to Figure 6 the finished article is designated at 10. This article comprises a body portion 12 having a bore 14 extending axially therethrough which bore is adapted to communicate with the tube ends of the cracking still. A pair of parallel extending ears 16 having slots 18 therein project from the body for the purpose of .69 securing the tube ends in place by'a clamping mechanism not disclosed. o

, In Figure 5 the preformed article as it emerges from the forging dies is disclosed and in this view the ears 16 are shown as extending laterally in opposite directions from the body portions 12 of the fitting. The forming of the articles into this shape is convenient from the standpoint of facility in forging and the improved mechanism is adapted to receive the article in the form shown in Figure and operate upon the same to shape the shape into the form shown in Figure 6. Referring now to Figure 1 a press is designated in its entirety at 20. This press comprises a base 22 having a bed plate 24 and a plurality of stand- 5 ards 26 across the upper ends of which there extends a crank 28 having an eccentric portion 30. Outside of the standards 26 there is provided a fly wheel 32. The ram of the press is designated at 34 and is vertically movable in guides 9 36 on the inner sides of the standards 26. This ram carries a wrist pin 38 which is connected to the eccentric portion of the crank 23 by means of a connecting rod 40. Thus it will be seen that upon rotation of the crank 28 the ram 34 will be reciprooated vertically. The lower end of the ram 34 is provided with a dovetail slot 42 for the purpose of securing thereto an upper die member 44. This upper die member is in the form of an elongated tool having convex portions 46 extending throughout its length. Secured to the bed plate 24 by means of bolts 48 is a fixture 50 having a base 52 and side members 54 from which a portion of the metal has been removed as at 56 to lighten the structure and to further the interests of economy in man- W ufacture. These side members 54 are each provided with a ledge 58 upon which two sets of bearing blocks 60, 62 and 64, 66 are slidably disposed. The side members 54 are connected together at their upper ends by end members 68. Each of the bearing blocks is provided with a slot 70 in which is disposed the head 72 of an adjusting bolt 74. These adjusting bolts extend through the sides of the slots '70 and are lpli threaded through one of the end members 58. By means of these adjusting bolts '74 the position and spacing of the bearing blocks 66 on the ledge 58 may be varied. A roller die element 76 is rotatably 'ournaled in the bearing blocks 60, 62 L 10 while a similar die element 78 is J'ournaled in the bearing blocks 64, 66. It will be seen therefore that the distance between these roller die elements may be varied by means of the adjusting bolts '74. The rollers 76 and 78 are similar in shape and are substantially in the form of a hyperbola of revolution to accommodate the curvature of the articles to be manufactured as clearly shown in Figure 3. In actual operation the ram 34 of the press 20 is maintained in its elevated position. The operator places one of the preformed articles shown in Figure 5 and previously described in position with its body portion 12 engaging both of the rollers 76 and 78 and with the ears 16 of the same resting on these rollers. The ram is then brought into action to descend upon the fitting 50. Accordingly the lower end of the upper die element 44 engages the body portion 12 of the fixture between the ears 16 and forces the same downwardly. The ears l6 resting upon the hyperbolic rollers are ironed, so to speak, into parallel position as clearly shown in Figure 6. It is to be noted that the ears 16 of the member 12 are curved in cross section and because of the hyperbolic curvature of the roller dies 76 the outside curvature of the ears is not destroyed. The curved surface of the upper die element 44 preserves the concave condition of the inner side of the ears 16.

In this specification the roller die elements 78 have been referred to as being hyperbolic roller die elements. This reference to a hyperbola is employed for convenience as these roller die elements appear to have surfaces which are in the form of a hyperbola of revolution. The die elements in reality have surfaces which are in the form of curves of revolution and it is to be distinctly understood that reference to a hyperbola is not to be construed as limiting the shape of these roller die elements to a true geometric hyperbolaof revolution.

The invention is not to be limited to the exact arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings or described in this specification as various details in the construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention. Only in so far as the invention is particularly pointed out in the accompanying claim is the same to be limited.

I claim:

"The method of forming tube ends for a cracking still which comprises forging a blank into a form having a hollow tubular body portion and having a pair of oppositely extending lateral ears on one end thereof and subsequently placing the thus forged blank into a set of forming dies and simultaneously rolling and bending the ears into substantial parallelism.

CHARLES HENRY SMITH. 

